randy_byers | House Small Brewers Caucus

Interesting post at Washington Beer Blog about a visit by Congressman Rick Larsen to Bellingham's Chuckanut Brewery and Kitchen. Aside from tidbits about the business and political side of microbreweries, I was most fascinated by the revelation that there is a bipartisan House Small Brewers Caucus comprised of Larsen, Peter DeFazio of Oregon, and Dennis Rehberg of Montana. This is obviously a small caucus, but I wonder if it represents the growing importance of small brewers as a source of jobs in the Western US. I've seen estimates of how many people the breweries in Washington State employ, and while I can't remember the number, I remember being impressed. Also telling that one of the major business problems mentioned is the difficulty in getting financing. The story of our economy.